Electbic storage battery



June 2, 1931.v

W. E. KERSHAW ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY Filed Jan. 11, 1928 F/GJ /A/ VE/v ra R MTA/Ess.' ,A

lPatent/ed June 2, 19.31

WILLIAI E. EEBSHAW, F GWYN'EDD VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY Application mea ranuaryn, 192s. smal no. 245,819.

Objects ofthe present invention are to provide for the passage of electrolyte from cell to cell so that it can find its level in the different cells thus permitting of the use of one filling opening for a plurality of cells, and to provide for automatically sealing the cells one from another against elec- -tr1c leakage.

The invention will be claimed at the end hereof but will be rst described in connection with the accompanying drawings forminpart hereof and in which igure 1 is an elevational view principallyl in section of parts of a storage lbattery embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of l. i 3 is a sectional view illustrating a modi cation and Fig. 4 is a section through the connector shown in Fig. 3.

The dow of electrolyte through the cell walls and the sealing of the walls against electric leaka e is accomplished, according to the methocgl of my invention, by estab- -lishing communication through the walls and below the normal or working level of the electrolyte for the flow of the electrolyte from cell to cell, and sealing said communication against electric lealrage by accumuylatin gas in the communication.

Re erring to the drawings, more particularly Figs. land 2, in which the parts which are duplicated are shown singly and without duplication, the intercell connectors l happen to be shown as confined within the interior of the battery and as arranged through its vertical cell Walls 2. The battery is provided below its working electrolyte level, indicated diagrammatlcally at :ri-a2, and between its cells with channels 3.

The electrolyte is frequently filledv with gas bubbles of which some are so small that the remain sus ended for a considerable lengt of time and are carried to all parts of the cell by liquid currents. Furthermore the electrolyte is at all times saturated with gas in solution and some of this gas isreleased upon increase of temperature. The gaseous bubbles collect upon the surface! of the channels, as they do upon all surfaces of the cell, and in the channels they combine into larger bubbles which interrupt the fluid path through the chan nels and prevent flow of current from cell to cell. However, when filling from a single filling opening 1n one of the cells the slight difference in head between that cell and an adjacent cell will temporarily dislace the bubble and vpermit the electrolyte evel of the cells to equalize. Until the bubbles have again collected in the channels there will be appreciable iow of current, but it is of short duration because the channels soon ll up with gas bubbles.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification' shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are as above described except that the channel 3", is formed through the intercell connector l, instead of through a cell wall.

The constructions illustrated in the draw.

ings provide traps in the nature of inverted pockets 4 and 4, which when present, make the trapping of the gas more positive than simple openings, channels or straight ducts would do. v

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modiications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and, in matters of mere form, without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited level in all. the cells.

2. A. storage battery having cells and an intercell wall and provided below its electrolyte level and between its cells with a channel of inverted U-shape through which electrolyte ma flow, and having a single opening for ling electrolyte to the same level in all cells.

3. A storage battery having cells, an intercell wall, and a metallic intercell connector confined within its interior, said battery being provided with a channel havin a trap 5 chamber therein formed between sald intercell wall and said metallic ntercell connector. 

